Brinson, Harrison named Top 100 prospects

MIAMI -- Remaking the roster has netted the Marlins a number of highly touted prospects this offseason, including two who are now part of an exclusive group.

MLB Pipeline unveiled its Top 100 Prospects list on Saturday, and a pair of recently acquired outfielders -- Lewis Brinson and Monte Harrison -- are ranked 27th and 71st, respectively.

MIAMI -- Remaking the roster has netted the Marlins a number of highly touted prospects this offseason, including two who are now part of an exclusive group.

MLB Pipeline unveiled its Top 100 Prospects list on Saturday, and a pair of recently acquired outfielders -- Lewis Brinson and Monte Harrison -- are ranked 27th and 71st, respectively.

Brinson, a South Florida native from Coral Springs, is a right-handed hitter with speed and power. On the brink of being Major League-ready, he has been considered one the best overall prospects in the game for years. Harrison is another potential middle of the lineup threat who promises to be part of Miami's future.

"We felt like we added impactful, championship-caliber players -- players that will be a part of future Marlins championships as they reach the big leagues and allow us to bring a championship back to South Florida," president of baseball operations Michael Hill said.

The annual ranking of MLB's Top 100 prospects is assembled by MLB Pipeline's Jim Callis, Jonathan Mayo and Mike Rosenbaum, who compile input from industry sources, including scouts and scouting directors. It is based on analysis of players' skill sets, upsides, proximity to the Majors and potential immediate impact to their teams. Only players with rookie status entering the 2018 season are eligible for the list. Players who were at least 25 years old when they signed and played in leagues deemed to be professional (Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Cuba) are not eligible.

Brinson and Harrison rank Nos. 1 and 2, moving right-handers Sandy Alcantara and Jorge Guzman down to third and fourth, respectively.

Alcantara was acquired from the Cardinals in December as part of the Marcell Ozuna trade, and Guzman was a main piece in the deal with the Yankees for Giancarlo Stanton.

From the Milwaukee trade, Diaz, who plays shortstop and second base, is Miami's new No. 9-ranked player.

"Our goal is always to make a deal that makes sense for us and to add quality," Hill said. "In this [Yelich] transaction, we've added three impactful position players … and a middle-of-the-rotation starter."

Brinson, 23, could find himself in Miami's Opening Day lineup. He's an athletic center fielder, but may wind up in a corner spot. He spent part of last year at Triple-A, posting a slash line of .331/.400/.562 with 13 home runs, 22 doubles, four triples and 48 RBIs.

A former first-round pick of the Rangers in 2012, Brinson appeared in the Sirius XM Futures Game, and he played briefly with the Brewers, hitting .106 with two home runs in 47 at-bats.

"Lewis has done everything he can throughout his Minor League career to put himself in this upper echelon of prospects throughout baseball," Brewers general manager David Stearns said. "We appreciate everything he did here, and we certainly expect the Marlins and their fan base are going to get a very good player, a good person, and someone they are going to like."

Harrison, listed at 6-foot-3, 220-pounds, spent last year at two levels of Class A, and his slash line was .272/.350/.481 with 21 home runs and 67 RBIs. He likely will open at Double-A Jacksonville.

"I think Monte really fast-tracked his development last year," Stearns said. "He had a healthy year and we saw his development come. Very athletic player, very enthusiastic player."

After eight straight losing seasons, the Marlins made it clear they intend to build an organization from the bottom up. Brinson and Harrison are now two key parts in moving the franchise forward.

"I'm looking forward to watching us play," Hill said. "There's a lot of reason for our fans to be excited. When you think about the existing pieces that are still on our roster, the young players that we've been able to add ... there's athleticism, there's speed, there's power arms. I'm excited to see those guys report to Jupiter and to see them get ready for the upcoming season."